Free We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse Book 1) by Dennis E. Taylor

ship.”
    “Physically? Really? You’ve never heard of ftp ?”
    “That would have worked right up until a couple of weeks ago when they blew you up. Where do you think the spare unit came from?”
    “Oh.” They had brought the replicant matrix down from the ship? That was the spare?
    “Replicant hardware is expensive, Bob. You’ve been working with the actual interfaces that you will use in-flight. They’ve just been attached to simulators up until now. Please read the document. Let me know when you’re done, and we’ll get started.” He sat down, leaned forward, and clasped his hands together on the desk, looking at me.
    ***
    Bob:
    All conversations are potentially being monitored. This is the only secure method of communicating this to you.
    There’s a very strong possibility that there is a self-destruct mechanism on the Heaven-1. Whether timed or externally triggered, we don’t know. The project specs called for limits to be placed on your ability to self-examine. My team has disabled those constraints on my orders. This will free you to examine everything: wiring, structure, hardware, software. The keys for your operating system are listed at the bottom of this document.
    This will unfortunately also allow you to bypass the imperatives that we installed in your code to ensure compliance with mission objectives. From my experience with you, I’m confident you’ll fulfill your duties of your own free will, since they align with your own interests.
    We will transport you, once deactivated, into orbit and will install you in the Heaven-1. There will be a long countdown, which you should feel free to ignore if necessary. Good luck, and though it pains me to say it, Godspeed.
    Dr. Landers
    There were several attachments, including a mission profile summary, and the operating system access keys. I scanned through everything, looking for gaps or other issues, then deleted the originals.
    “Done.”
    Dr. Landers jerked in surprise. I’d probably only been away a few milliseconds. He picked up the tablet and poked at it with a finger.
    ***
    I awoke to darkness. I queried GUPPI.
    [STATUS REPORT]
    [Fusion Reactor Interface: Ready/Nominal]
    [Reactionless Drive Interface: Ready/Standby]
    [Ramscoop Generator: Ready/Standby]
    [Communications & External Sensors: Ready/Standby]
    [Internal Systems: Ready/Nominal]
    [Fabrication Systems: Inactive/Stowed for Launch]
    [ROAMer/Nanite Systems: Inactive/Stowed for Launch]
    [Launch Systems: Ready/T minus 04:12:13]
     
    I queried the internal systems, and discovered that they included several libraries of impressive size that I hadn’t even known existed. I checked the launch systems and verified that I had a course vector laid out that would take me to Epsilon Eridani. Interesting. FAITH had probably concluded that everyone else would be heading for Alpha Centauri. Without weapons, I would have no chance in a confrontation with multiple opponents.
    I verified that I had complete override capability, including the ability to blow the grapples that held me to the space station. I remembered Dr. Landers’ comment about ignoring the countdown. Should I just blow and go? Without a specific threat, I would look like I’d gone rogue. Very likely Dr. Landers would take the fallout for that. He’d always been straight with me, and I didn’t want to repay that with treachery.
    I activated comms, only to be immediately besieged by a half-dozen different external audio channels. There were also several video channels, but their output seemed to be less active. It looked like viewing rooms with rows of empty seats. Presumably that was where the public would sit, come launch time.
    There were exterior views of the Heaven-1 and the space station to which it was attached. Two more video feeds showed mission control and the VIP gallery, mostly empty.
    I examined the vessel I was in. Or, I guess, the vessel that was me. It was a converted interplanetary freighter. The body had been split